Miami Restaurants

  1. Altamar

    Located on the west side of Alton Rd - the stretch most pedestrians miss - Altamar rules the fresh fish stakes. Or just about any seafood lists. The jumbo crabcake and mustard sauce, soft-shell crab marinated in lemon and herbs and, yes, any fish on the menu are all good bets.

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  2. Big Fish

    Big Fish has a catch-the-sun color scheme, open deck and blue water breezes - could you come closer to Mediterranean island ambience in Miami? OK, the Miami River isn't the Aegean (you're almost under the Metromover), but the seafood is fresh; try anything off the fish menu, sip some wine and love life. Film buffs: Alec Baldwin shot a thief on the back patio here in the '80s cult flick Miami Blues.

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  3. Boater's Grill

    Located just past Crandon Park in the Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park, this waterfront restaurant (actually, water below and all around) feels like a Chesapeake Bay seahouse from up north, except the menu's packed with South Florida maritime goodness: stone crabs, mahi-mahi and lobster paella.

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  4. Capital Grille

    This posh carnivore's paradise boasts steak, steak and more steak, catering to the suited expense-accounters who appreciate chandeliers, marble floors and dark wood paneling.

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  5. Cj's Crab Shack

    This casual spot seems a cut above the rest of its Ocean Dr resto-siblings. As the name promises, there are lots of crustaceans served by a sassy waitstaff with complimentary dry attitude (it's endearing). Happy hour is a happy steal: around US$5 for a half-dozen oysters, around US$6 for two stone crab claws.

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  7. Forge

    We've always wanted to eat next to Paris Hilton, but when we visited Forge all we got was Hillary Clinton's press spokesperson. That should give you an idea of the folks who eat at this baroque temple to excess: important ones. Incidentally, the food is good, but you're at this A-list steakhouse to either spot celebrities or feel like one.

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  8. Garcia's

    Crowds of Cuban office workers lunch at Garcia's, which feels closer to a smugglers' seafood shack than the financial district. Expect occasionally spotty service (a bad thing), freshly caught-and-cooked fish (a good thing) and pleasantly seedy views of the Miami River (sweet).

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  9. Grillfish

    Sometimes it's all in a name. They grill here. They grill fish. They could call it 'Grillfish Awesome' because that's what this simple yet elegant restaurant, with its cutely mismatched plates and church pew benches, serves: fresh seafood, done artfully and simply and joyfully.

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  10. Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant

    The wait is long, the prices high. But if those aren't deal-breakers, queue up to don a bib in Miami's most famous restaurant and enjoy deliciously fresh stone crab claws.

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  11. Norman's Tavern

    Think Diet Forge: same great taste, less calories! Er, celebrities. Norman's eschews bling and attitude for a sort of high-end sports bar atmosphere; the food is fancy pub fare and everyone's either shooting pool or watching the game.

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  13. Prime 112

    Sometimes, you need a steak: well-aged, juicy, marbled with the right bit of fat, served in a spot where the walls sweat testosterone, the bar serves Manhattans and the hostesses are models. Chuck the above into Miami Beach's oldest inn, the beautiful 1915 Browns Hotel, and there's Prime 112.

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